Solar eclipse explained: when and how to safely view it across ...

Experts warn public never to look at the sun with the naked eye, through a telescope or binoculars or through sunglasses – even several pairs of sunglasses are not enough – as this can result in permanent eye damage. Tips on how to safely view are included below.

Experts have described it as “one of the best sights in nature”. But what is a solar eclipse and where can you get the best views of it in the country?

What exactly will we see?

Large parts of the US will experience a total solar eclipse, a one-in-400-year event, but ours will only be partial which is a more frequent event.

A total eclipse results in the sky darkening as if it were dawn and dusk.

Although the solar eclipse will be only partially visible in Ireland and is less dramatic, we can still see it for a few minutes.

With the forecast not looking good, viewers will have to be lucky to see the phenomenon for a few minutes shortly after 8pm this evening.

Chief executive of Astronomy Ireland David Moore said Ireland will see the start of the eclipse as the sun sets shortly after 8pm, and he appeals to the public to follow essential safety tips to avoid permanent eye damage.

Officially the eclipse will start at 7.55 and end at 8.13pm, reaching its maximum 0.26 magnitude at 8.10pm.

”The total path of the eclipse is all the way over North America,” he told the Irish Independent.

"If you're watching this on a Monday evening, around the 8 o'clock mark, you'll see a small bite taken out of the bottom of the sun, and that bite will get bigger and bigger until the sun sets.

“If you lived over in Texas, for instance, you would see that by getting so big it would cover the entire sun and at that stage, it would turn to night and the stars would come out just for a few minutes.

“The path where you get to see the total eclipse goes from Mexico through Texas, up to the north of New York. They will only see the eclipse for two or three minutes,” he added.

Where in Ireland can we see it and what’s the best spot?

The west of Ireland will get the best views of the partial solar eclipse.

“The ultimate place would be on the west coast on top of a hill looking out over the ocean,” Mr Moore said.

“People in the west of Ireland will see it a little bit more than people in the east.”

Galway, Mayo or Kerry might get the best eclipse views, looking out over the ocean in the clear weather conditions.

"On the day, knowing Ireland, the best place would be wherever is forecast to be clear.

"If you're near a lake or inland, that will be good looking across a big lake. And you want to find somewhere where you can see right the way down to the horizon,” he said.

Mr Moore also said a nearby park or a hill when you’re looking west down the horizon while the sun sets would be another good way to observe.

How can we watch it without damaging our eyes?

It is important to be aware of how dangerous looking at the sun is. David Moore has advised to be careful and shared a few tips on how to watch and enjoy the solar eclipse safely.

Whether you’re planning to observe the eclipse or have relatives in the United States who will watch it, the important thing to remember is that sunglasses aren’t sufficient protection.

"Even multiple pairs of sunglasses aren't good enough,” he said.

"If you're looking at the sun from Ireland, we're never going to have the total eclipse but then most of the sun is still there and it can damage your eyesight if you look at it.

"You should never use any binoculars or telescopes. I always warn people with children, they are drawn like a magnet to look into telescopes.”

EU-certified Eclipse Glasses are available to buy, but another option is using protective welding glass glasses that can be found in some hardware shops.

“You can also project an image of the sun through a pinhole – that’s very simple.

"You get a piece of cardboard, pinch a tiny hole in and you hold a sheet of white paper a few feet behind this.

"Sunlight goes through the pinhole onto a piece of white paper and actually produces a very small crude image of the sun and you'll see it won't be round, there will be that bite taken out of it – that’s one safe way of viewing it,” he said.

Why is this eclipse particularly special and when’s the next one?

Mr Moore said the eclipse hasn’t happened on Irish soil since 1724 and won’t happen again until 2090.

"They say it's the most beautiful sight in nature, and I haven't seen anything better yet myself,” he said.

“With today's technology, we can all travel, so you can actually see several eclipses in your life. There's a group of people called the eclipse chasers. They make it their annual holiday to go wherever it is in the world.”

The next solar eclipse near Ireland will take place on August 12, 2026, and will go through Spain.

“The eclipse that happened in 1999, the path of totality went through south of Ireland and went over France. There was one airport in France, I knew people flew to the airport, watched the eclipse from the car park, and then flew back to Ireland.

“You will be able to do that in 2026.

"If you travel, you'll see an eclipse in your lifetime. But otherwise, if you wait in this country, you might see one in 2090 or 2600 but it will probably be cloudy,” he said.

What’s the weather forecast?

Mr Moore said the cloud cover is one of the most difficult things to predict.

“One of those rare days when the entire skies clear – that's what we would dream of.”

The weather forecast for Monday is showers at the moment, Mr Moore added.

“I've done this before. Forecasts can reverse by the time the day comes around."

His advice is to always stand outside at the time of the eclipse, even if the forecast is bad, or ignore the forecast at all.

“If you really want to see the eclipse, it might not hurt just to stand outside in the evening for 30 minutes,” he said.